In 2023, the golf season was dominated by talks between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman won their first major championships but their victories were overshadowed by Jon Rahm’s first Masters win. Rahm would later announce that he would be leaving the Tour for a spot on the LIV Golf roster, adding fuel to an already heated rivalry between the two leagues.
Let’s go over a few of the headlines that are going to dominate the 2024 golf season.
LIV Golf vs PGA Tour
The PGA Tour and LIV Golf rivalry will take center stage at the major championships once again in 2024.
Even with a merger agreement in place, there remains plenty of tension between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. Recently, LIV Golf lost its bid to earn world ranking points from the Official World Golf Ranking, making it more difficult for LIV Golf players to earn a spot in major tournaments.
LIV Golf players have won 15 of the last 30 majors dating back to 2016, including two victories last year. The newest member of the LIV Golf roster, Jon Rahm, won the 2023 Masters and Brooks Koepka won the PGA Championship at Oak Hill.
Jon Rahm Leaves For LIV Golf
When Rahm announced that he had accepted a $300 million deal to join LIV Golf, he sent a shockwave through the golf world. Rahm is the highest-ranking player ever to defect to the rival golf league and his departure left a huge hole on the PGA Tour roster.
Rahm secured four victories in 2023 and won his first green jacket. His 2023 Masters win on Easter Sunday was one of the highlights of a memorable season. Rahm also won The Sentry, American Express, and Genesis Invitational. He finished the year ranked as the No. 3 golfer in the world and had over $14 million in earnings, good for second on the PGA Tour money list.
Is Tiger Woods Back
Tiger Woods made his return to golf over the fall, playing in the 2023 Hero World Challenge and PNC Championship. Woods’ return to the course was an encouraging sign and he showed marked improvement at the PNC Championship.
With plans to play in about one tournament per month, Woods could be back on the course in full swing, which is always good for the sport.
If Woods can compete in all four majors this year, that would be an accomplishment in its own right. And when Woods is in the field, you can never really count him out.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
